Tongue buckle



Jan. 1,1924 1,479,515

' T. RUSSELL .I

TONGUE BUCKLE Filed Nov. 6. 19224 INVENToR.

eaeafe ussel 10 By l ATTQR EY Patented Jan. 1, 1924.

UNITED STATES THEoDoR'E Bussum., or NAUGATUCK, tooivnnc'rii'r.

rieur TONGUE BUCKLE.

Application filed November 6, 1922. Serial 110,599,262.

To' all whom t 'may yconcer/IL: Y

Be it know that I, THEODORE RUSSELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Naugatuck, county of New I-Iaven, and

State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tongue Buckles, of which the following is a specification. Y

This invention relates to buckles, and more particularly to an improved form of tongue buckleadapted-to be -securedto a strap or fabric.

One object of this invention is to provide abuckle of l' the-type above defined which will'be especially adapted for use upon the strapsof shoes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a'buckle of the abovetype having a frame and a crosspiece integral therewith, the'crosspiece being perforatedto receive an eyelet or rivet for securing the buckle to a strap or fabric, and having means for pivotally mounting tongue thereon.

A further object is'- to provide a buckler of the type last described 'havingA means on the crosspiece'for preventing lateral move-- ment of the buckle tongue.

A further object is to provide a combined shoe strapl and buckle'in which ,the buckle is `secured to the strapwithout the' use of unsightly staples or stitches, and in which the securing means is ornamentaland cannot form bulgesv orother projections which could stick into'the foot and' injure it.

With these and other objects in view, there have been illustrated on the accompanying drawing, several forms in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of the improved tongue buckle, asit appears when'attached to a strap.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the buckle shown in Fig. 1, as it appears when detached from the strap.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the buckle and strap shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4L is a sectional view of the securing eyelet as it appears in its original condition before being headed over into engagement with the strap.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modied form of buckle also embodying the invention.

' Fig. 6 is a plan view of another modified form of buckle.

The first illustrated embodiment. shown in Figs. 1 to 4L will now Abe described, reference being had to the drawings in which like reference numerals' denote corresponding parts throughout thev several views.

In this embodiment, the buckle comprises a body orframe portion l having` side portions 2, 3, and end portions y1, 5. Integral with the sides 2, 3, is a crosspiece 6. As illustrated, this crosspiece 6y `and the side 2, 3 are depressed out of the plane ofthe ends 4, 5, to receive the free end of the strap between the crosspiece 6 and said ends "1, 5. Means is provided whereby ,the buckle may be permanently secured to astrapor other element or fabric and vfurther means is provided for detachably connecting a strap to the buckle, both "these meansbei'ng.

provided in connection with thel crosspiece 6. i

In order to secure the buckle to thefstrap, i

the crosspiece 6 is vprovidedwithyan ear 7 at the center thereof, preferably formed with asingle vperforation Sadapted to re-v ceive an'eyelet 9. The eyelet 9, as best seen in Fig. 1, comprisesa Vflat base portion 10 and a tabular shank 11 which tapers inwardly slightly from the-base 10y to the top of said shank. l y

In order to detachably connect the free end of the strapto the buckle,"the crosspiece 6 is provided with a second perforationle preferably elliptical in shape. ',This crosspiece is adapted to receive the looped end or eye 15 of a tongue 1 6. The tongue 164 is adapted to overlie the end 5 of the buckle, and has a pivotal movement about the eye 15 toward and from the end 5. In order to center the tongue 16 or to prevent any substantial lateral movement thereof, the crosspiece 6 is formed with a pair of lugs 17 providing an opening 18 therebetween into which the eye portion 16 of the tongue extends.

In use, when it is desired to attach a buckle to a strap, it will only be necessary to insert the tapered shank of the eyeletupwardly through a perforation in the strap registering with the vperforation 8 in the buckle. The portion of the tubular shank which extends above the buckle may then be readily headed over at 13 by any suitable tools.

In the modified form of buckle shown in v Fig. 5, a tongue 19 of T-shaped construction, is provided. This tongue'19 has a pair of transverse arms 20, 20, adapted to be engaged by a pair of lugs 2l, 2l, bent up from the crosspiece 6 for pivotally mounting said tongue.

In the other modified form of buckle shown in Fig. 6, the 'rear of the tongue 22 is provided with an integral loop, adapted to be engaged by a single lug 23 bent up trom the center of the crosspiece 6.

The use of the modified forms shown in Figs. 5 and 6, is substantially identical with that shown in Figs. l to 4f.

One advantage of the present invention that, aside from the loose tongue, the bucklesare of solid one-piece integral construction, which is extremely durable and may be cheaply manufactured merely by stamping.

Further advantages of this invention are that the buckle may be very rapidly attached to a strap or fabric, and that in the attaching operation, the base of the eyelet will be drawn or countersunk into the strap or fabric so 'that it will lie substantially ilush with the surface thereof. By means of this construction, there will be practically no protuberance which might injure the foot, and such as was formerly caused by the stitches, or staples hitherto employed for attaching buckles to shoe straps.

A further advantage of the single-eyelet buckle herein disclosed is that the buckle will turn readily upon the strap or other Ysheet of material to which it is attached.

Consequently, the buckle will always move into accurate alinement with the strap even if not originally secured correctly.

While the buckles herein illustrated are especially adapted to be used in connection with shoe straps, it will be understood that it is Within the spirit and scope of the invention to employ such buckles in any other desired manner.

While there has been disclosed in this specification, several forms in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that these forms are shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosures, but may be modified and einbodied in various otherl forms without departing from its spirit. ln short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, and for which it is desi-red to secure Letters Patent, is:

l. A buckle comprising a frame, a cross- Y piece integral therewith between the ends of the frame, said crosspiece having a perforated ear at one side to receive means for securing the buckle to a strap, and a tongue secured to said crosspiece, said tongue and perforated ear being in alinement in order to maintain said buckle in alinement with said strap, and means on the opposite side of said crosspiece from said ear for engaging the tongue to prevent lateral displacement thereof. y Y

2. The combination with a buckle having a frame, a crosspiece integral therewith between the ends of said frame, said.k crosspiece having an aperture, of a strip of sheet material having a pierced hole in alinement with said aperture, and a tubular member extending through said pierced hole and aperture, said tubular member being headed over on said buckle, a tongue pivoted on said crosspiece, and means for centering said tongue, said tongue and tongue'centering means being in alinement with said aperture in order to maintain saidbuckle in alinement with said strip of sheet material.

ln testimony whereof, I have axed my signature to this specification.

THEODORE RUSSELL. 

